KEYED IN

Welcome to Keyed In, the blog of Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society. This will be the go-to place for Sigma Xi members and others to learn about what’s happening in the science and engineering industry. We will share thoughts and perspectives related to Sigma Xi’s mission, including ideas that deal with the health of the research enterprise, integrity in science and engineering, and public understanding of science, as they contribute to improving the human condition. We will give updates about the remarkable work conducted by Sigma Xi chapters, which are spread across the globe. We will report on trends in research and anticipate where the industry is going. And, we will offer advice to young scientists and engineers. Our ultimate goal is to provide useful information that will lead to a more connected and more effective research community.

Sigma Xi members, affiliates, and explorers discuss critical issues in science as part of the Society’s Quarterly Conversations initiative. In light of the recent government shutdown, this quarter’s discussion will explore how Sigma Xi should represent the research enterprise in the political system.

What happens when a university fails to renew a journal subscription that is used by its faculty or publishers charge exorbitant fees to download scholarly articles? One possible solution to disseminating scientific information is open access, a system that makes research articles available to all interested parties at no cost. Sigma Xi members are discussing the pros and cons of this publishing system.

In the July edition of Sigma Xi Speaks, Executive Director and CEO Jamie Vernon asks members, affiliates, and explorers to participate in discussions about the irreproducibility of numerous published scientific studies, and what can be done to address this issue.

In October 2015, I wrote that becoming interim executive director and CEO of Sigma Xi for six months was a singular honor. Now, some 21 months later, I was correct. It has been the single greatest honor of my long and varied career.

This is a guest post written by communication coach Barry Mitsch. It is the responsibility of everyone who values scientific research to show the value science plays in future advancements that contribute to economic growth and improved quality of life. Mitsch shares tips on sharing your message.

This is a guest post written by communication coach Barry Mitsch. Nowadays when technical professionals are asked to give a presentation, they typically begin their preparation by creating some slides using a popular software program that will be projected when speaking to an audience. But is this technology improving presentations or creating a barrier between the speaker and the audience?

Paul R. Sanberg, winner of the Sigma Xi 2016 John P. McGovern Science and Society Award, shares his lecture from the 2016 Annual Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia. A main message of his lecture was that researchers have a meaningful role to play in society by sharing the benefits of their discoveries with other people.

Executive Director and CEO John C. Nemeth uses his monthly series to spotlight Human Rights Day on December 10. He shares an article about how Sigma Xi members can get involved with supporting the human right to water. The Kids Science Reading Corner features books about people who received their education against the odds.